NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings (13-11-6) at Washington Capitals (16-13-4)

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DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:

LAST GAME
RED WINGS 3 vs. OTTAWA 6 (12/17/22)
1ST PERIOD: DET Veleno (Kubalík, Söderblom) 2:32-EV; OTT Batherson (DeBrincat, Pinto) 12:47-EV; DET Erne (Walman, Suter)
14:56-EV; OTT Chabot (DeBrincat, Tkachuk) 18:42-PP
2ND PERIOD: OTT Batherson (Tkachuk, DeBrincat) 1:40-PP; DET Hronek (Perron, Raymond) 12:14-PP
3RD PERIOD: OTT Giroux (unassisted) 8:14-PP; OTT Motte (Kelly) 12:48-SH; OTT Watson (Giroux) 16:49-EN
SHOTS: DET 32 (12-6-14) / OTT 28 (9-11-8)
GOALIES: DET Husso (L, 22-27) / OTT Talbot (W, 29-32)
PP: DET 1-7 / OTT 3-5

MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
Robby Fabbri – lower body (30 / Oct. 10)
Jakub Vrána – personal (28 / Oct. 17)
Tyler Bertuzzi – upper body (21 / Nov. 30)
Filip Zadina – lower body (19 / Nov. 5)
Matt Luff – upper body (17 / Nov. 8)
Robert Hägg – undisclosed (4 / Dec. 8)
Total Man Games Lost: 157
Individual Man Games Lost: Elmer Söderblom (13), Gustav Lindström (11), Oskar Sundqvist (7), Olli Määttä (4), Michael Rasmussen
(2), Dylan Larkin (1)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
12/18 – Reassigned defenseman Donovan Sebrango to Grand Rapids from Toledo (ECHL)
12/17 – Activated defenseman Olli Määttä from injured reserve
12/16 – Assigned defenseman Steven Kampfer to Grand Rapids
12/15 – Reassigned defenseman Eemil Viro to Grand Rapids from Toledo (ECHL)
12/14 – Recalled forward Elmer Söderblom from Grand Rapids … Placed defenseman Olli Määttä on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 6
12/13 – Recalled defenseman Steven Kampfer from Grand Rapids … Placed defenseman Robert Hägg on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 8

TONIGHT’S GAME
RED WINGS at CAPITALS / 7:00 P.M. EST / Capital One Arena / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TONIGHT: 125th all-time meeting, 61st at Washington … Second of three games this season, first of two at Washington ALL-TIME vs. WSH: 52-51-16-5 / AWAY: 24-29-5-2 / LAST 10: 3-7-0 / IN 2021-22: 1-2-0 / THIS SEASON: 1-0-0
DET top scorers vs. WSH: David Perron (2-12-14 in 22 GP), Dylan Larkin (4-7-11 in 17 GP), Dominik Kubalík (2-2-4 in 4 GP), Lucas Raymond (1-1-2 in 4 GP), Pius Suter (1-1-2 in 4 GP)

WSH top scorers vs. DET: Alex Ovechkin (23-13-36 in 31 GP), T.J. Oshie (10-11-21 in 39 GP), Evgeny Kuznetsov (5-14-19 in 18 GP), John Carlson (4-14-18 in 25 GP), Dylan Strome (5-9-14 in 14 GP), Marcus Johansson (4-10-14 in 27 GP), Sonny Milano (1-2-3 in 6 GP), Lucas Johansen (0-1-1 in 1 GP), Anthony Mantha (0-1-1 in 2 GP)

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES EST)
Wed., Dec. 21: RED WINGS vs. LIGHTNING / 7:00 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: BSD EXTRA / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Fri., Dec. 23: RED WINGS at SENATORS / 7:00 p.m. / Canadian Tire Centre / TV: BSD EXTRA / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Wed., Dec. 28: RED WINGS at PENGUINS / 7:30 p.m. / PPG Paints Arena / TV: BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM

LAST TIME OUT
Dec. 17 vs. Ottawa – 6-3 L
Detroit fell against Ottawa to move to 13-11-6 overall and 7-6-3 inside Little Caesars Arena … Joe Veleno opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season … Veleno skated in his 100th career NHL game … Adam Erne gave Detroit a 2-1 lead with his fifth goal of the campaign … Filip Hronek scored on the power play for his seventh goal of the season … It marked Hronek’s third power play goal of the season, trailing only Dominik Kubalík (5), Lucas Raymond (4) and Dylan Larkin (4) … Hronek continues to lead all Detroit blueliners in goals (7), assists (18), points (25), plus/minus (+12), power play goals (3) power play points (11) and shots (69) through 30 games … Hronek became the first Red Wings defenseman to reach the 25-point mark (7-18-25) within a season in 30 games or fewer since both Brian Rafalski (27 GP) and Nicklas Lidström (30 GP) did so in 2010-11 … Hronek has 17 points (7-10-17) and a plus-eight rating in 16 games dating back to Nov. 12 at Los Angeles … Kubalík tallied the primary assist on Veleno’s goal … Kubalík continues to rank second among Detroit skaters with 26 points (10-16-26) through 30 games … Elmer Söderblom recorded his first career NHL assist with a helper on Veleno’s goal … Erne and Söderblom both have points in back-to-back games (1-1-2 in 2 GP) … David Perron logged the primary assist on Hronek’s power play goal, giving him 14 points (4-10-14) in 16 games since Nov. 12 at Los Angeles … Raymond also had an assist on Hronek’s power play goal … Raymond has four points (2-2-4) in four career head-to-head meetings against Ottawa … Perron and Raymond tied Larkin for third place among Detroit skaters with nine power play points … The Red Wings are 8-3-5 this season when scoring the game’s first goal, and 5-3-2 when doing so on home ice … Detroit is 12-3-3 this season when netting three-or-more goals … Detroit is 9-4-3 this season when scoring a power play goal … The Red Wings are 6-2-4 this season when racking up 30-or-more shots … Detroit is also 8-2-3 when outshooting its opponent, and 5-2-2 when doing so on home ice … Detroit is 13-2-3 when leading or tied after two periods, and 7-2-0 when doing so on home ice.

ZETTERBERG SELECTED TO IIHF HALL OF FAME

  • Henrik Zetterberg has been selected to the IIHF Hall of Fame Class of 2023. The IIHF Hall of Fame’s 2023 Induction Ceremonies will take place prior to the medal games of the 2023 IIHF World Championship on May 28 in Tampere, Finland.
  • Ranks among Detroit’s all-time leaders with 1,082 games played (6th), 337 goals (5th), 623 assists (5th), 960 points (5th), 100 power play goals (8th) and 64 game-winning goals (5th).
  • Also places among the franchise’s postseason leaders with 137 games played (10th), 57 goals (3rd), 63 assists (7th), 120 points (5th), 21 power play goals (3rd) and eight game-winning goals (T8th).
  • On the international stage, he represented Sweden at four Winter Olympics, six IIHF World Championships, the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and the 2000 IIHF World Junior Championship.
  • Won a gold medal at both the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and the 2006 IIHF World Championship in Riga, Latvia.
  • Became the 21st member of the IIHF’s Triple Gold Club when he helped Detroit win a Stanley Cup championship in 2008.
  • Also became the second European-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy when he earned the honor in 2008.

PERRON REACHES 1,000-GAME MILESTONE

  • David Perron ranks among the team leaders with nine goals (3rd), 13 assists (5th), 22 points (4th), two power play goals (T5th), nine power play points (T3rd), two game-winning goals (2nd) and 82 shots (2nd) through 30 games.
  • Scored a goal in his 1,000th career NHL game on Dec. 10 at Dallas.
  • Became the 374th player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-game milestone.
  • Also the fourth player to hit the 1,000-game mark this season, joining Minnesota defenseman Alex Goligoski (Oct. 20 vs. Vancouver), New York Islanders forward Josh Bailey (Oct. 28 at Carolina) and Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin (Nov. 20 at Chicago).
  • Became the sixth active player to score a goal in his 1,000th career NHL game, joining Malkin, Bailey, Jeff Carter, Patrice Bergeron and Brent Burns.
  • He is the fourth member of the 2007 NHL Draft class to reach the 1,000-game milestone, joining Patrick Kane, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds.

FIL THE THRILL

  • Filip Hronek ranks among the team leaders with seven goals (T4th), 18 assists (1st), 25 points (3rd), a plus-12 rating (1st), three power play goals (4th), 11 power play points (2nd), 69 shots (4th) and 21:54 average time on ice (2nd) through 30 games.
  • Became the first Red Wings defenseman to reach the 25-point mark (7-18-25) within a season in 30 games or fewer since both Brian Rafalski (27 GP) and Nicklas Lidström (30 GP) did so in 2010-11.
  • Tied for the team lead with seven multi-point games. He recorded 16 points (6-10-16) and a plus-nine rating during an 11-game stretch from Nov. 12-Dec. 6.
  • Set a franchise record for the longest season-opening road point streak (4-11-15 in 11 GP), eclipsing Sergei Fedorov who set the mark in 1993-94 (9-10-19 in 10 GP).
  • Became the second defenseman in NHL history to post a road point streak of 11-or-more games from the start of a season, joining Paul Coffey who notched a point in each of Edmonton’s first 12 road games in 1986-87 (4-16-20 in 12 GP).
  • Also became the third Red Wings defenseman to post a road point streak of 11-or-more games, following Brian Rafalski (12 GP in 2007-08) and Paul Coffey (15 GP in 1994-95).

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER

  • Filip Hronek totaled 14 points from Nov. 3-30 (6-8-14 in 13 GP), which were the most by a Red Wings defenseman in a calendar month since Nicklas Lidström in December 2010 (8-8-16 in 16 GP).
  • Had a career-high four-game goal streak from Nov. 17-25 (5-2-7 in 4 GP) and six-game point streak from Nov. 12-25 (6-4-10 in 6 GP).
  • His four-game goal streak matched the longest goal streak by a defenseman in franchise history, joining Mathieu Schneider (4 GP in 2005-06), Nicklas Lidström (4 GP in 2000-01) and Reed Larson (4 GP in 1980-81).
  • Became the first Red Wings defenseman to record six goals in a six-game span since Reed Larson did so from Jan. 29-Feb. 8, 1981 (6-3-9 in 6 GP).
  • Scored a pair of goals – including his first career GWG – on Nov. 19 at Columbus for his first career multi-goal game.

BIG VILLE STYLE
Detroit acquired goaltender Ville Husso from St. Louis in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (Aleksanteri Kaskimäki) on July 8 and subsequently signed him to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.75 million.

  • Ville Husso has posted three shutouts in 21 games with the Red Wings, tying Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov for the league lead. Husso had three shutouts in 57 appearances with the Blues from 2020-22.
  • Became the third Red Wings/Falcons/Cougars goaltender with three shutouts prior to his 15th appearance with the franchise, joining Hap Holmes (4 in 1926-27) and Dolly Dolson (3 in 1928-29).
  • Has allowed one goal or fewer in eight starts this season.

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED
Detroit forwards Andrew Copp, Austin Czarnik, Dominik Kubalík, Matt Luff and David Perron, and defensemen Ben Chiarot, Robert Hägg and Olli Määttä have made an immediate impact to begin the 2022-23 season. The eight players, all signed as free agents by the Red Wings in July, have combined for 88 points (29-59-88) through the first 30 games of the campaign.

  • Ben Chiarot netted his second goal of the season on Nov. 19 at Columbus. He recorded a goal and an assist on Oct. 15 at New Jersey for his first multi-point game in a Detroit uniform.
  • Andrew Copp tallied six points (1-5-6) in a five-game span from Nov. 30-Dec. 8. He ranks second among Detroit skaters with 15 even-strength points (2-13-15), trailing only Dylan Larkin (5-12-17).
  • Austin Czarnik tallied a goal on Nov. 8 vs. Montreal and Dec. 4 at Columbus. The Metro Detroit native has also racked up 14 points (6-8-14) in 12 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
  • Robert Hägg (IR) ranks among the team leaders with 36 hits (8th) and 17 blocks (10th). He registered an assist on Oct. 21 at Chicago and Oct. 25 vs. New Jersey.
  • Dominik Kubalík places among the team leaders with 10 goals (T1st), 16 assists (3rd), 26 points (2nd), five power play goals (1st), 12 power play points (1st), one overtime goal (1st) and 80 shots (3rd) through 30 games. He became the first Detroit skater to average a point-per-game through their first 25 career contests with the franchise since Marián Hossa in 2008-09 (14-14-28 in 25 GP).
  • Matt Luff (IR) earned his first goal/point with Detroit on Nov. 6 against the New York Rangers. He picked up seven points (3-4-7) in five appearances with Grand Rapids to begin the 2022-23 season.
  • Olli Määttä (IR) has registered 10 points (2-8-10) and a plus-10 rating through 26 games. With a pair of assists on Dec. 4 at Columbus, he surpassed his scoring total from the 2021-22 campaign in 42 fewer games (1-7-8 in 66 GP with Los Angeles).
  • David Perron has totaled 22 points (9-13-22) in 30 games, including a pair of game-winning goals. Perron, who scored a goal in his 1,000th career NHL game on Dec. 10 at Dallas, has notched 14 points (4-10-14) in 16 games dating back to Nov. 12 at Los Angeles.

SWEDISH MAFIA KEEPS GROWING

  • Jonatan Berggren has recorded nine points (4-5-9) in 17 games to begin his NHL career.
  • Became the eighth Red Wings rookie in the past 30 years to record six-or-more points through their first nine contests, joining Lucas Raymond (4-5-9 in 2021-22), Moritz Seider (0-8-8 in 2021-22), Filip Zadina (1-5-6 in 2019-20), Taro Hirose (1-6-7 in 2018-19), Dennis Cholowski (2-4-6 in 2018-19), Dylan Larkin (2-5-7 in 2015-16) and Henrik Zetterberg (3-3-6 in 2002-03).
  • Registered seven points (4-3-7) in seven games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to begin the 2022-23 campaign.
  • Made his North American professional debut with the Griffins in 2021-22 and set franchise records for a rookie in assists (43), points (64), game-winning goals (7) and overtime goals (3) in 70 games.
  • Named AHL Rookie of the Month for April after totaling 20 points (6-14-20) in 14 contests. He finished the season with 26 points (7- 19-26) in his last 18 games, including a season-high 11-game point streak (6-13-19) to close out the year.

EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND

  • Lucas Raymond ranks among the team leaders with seven goals (T4th), 10 assists (T6th), 17 points (T5th), four power play goals (T2nd), nine power play points (T3rd), three game-winning goals (1st) and 56 shots (5th) through 30 games.
  • Became the third member of the 2020 NHL Draft class to reach the 30-goal mark, joining Tim Stützle (44) and Alexis Lafrenière (36).
  • Has five career game-winning goals, trailing only Steve Yzerman (8), Dylan Larkin (6) and Alex Delvecchio (6) for the most GWGs in franchise history at age 20 or younger.

GERMAN ENGINEERING

  • Moritz Seider set career highs in assists (3) and points (3) in his 100th NHL game on Nov. 19 at Columbus.
  • Recorded six points (2-4-6) in a five-game stretch from Nov. 17-28.
  • Became the fourth defenseman in franchise history to register 60-or-more points (9-53-62 in 112 GP) at age 21 or younger, joining Steve Chiasson (15-48-63 in 139 GP), Reed Larson (19-42-61 in 89 GP) and Nicklas Lidström (11-49-60 in 80 GP).
  • Also moved past Nicklas Lidström (11-49-60 in 80 GP) for the most assists by a Detroit defenseman before age 22.

LOVE TO ‘C’ IT

  • Dylan Larkin is in his third season as Detroit’s captain and eighth NHL campaign. He was named the 37th captain in franchise history on Jan. 13, 2021, becoming the first Michigander and native metro Detroiter to wear the ‘C’ for the Red Wings, assuming a captaincy that had been vacant for two seasons following the end of Henrik Zetterberg’s career in 2017-18 due to injury.
  • Ranks among the team leaders with 10 goals (T1st), 17 assists (2nd), 27 points (1st), a plus-five rating (T4th), four power play goals (T2nd), nine power play points (T3rd), one shorthanded goal (T1st) and 96 shots (1st) through 29 games.
  • Scored the overtime winner in Detroit’s last visit to Washington on Oct. 27, 2021.
  • Currently places 22nd on the franchise’s all-time points list (see list below):
  1. Vyacheslav Kozlov – 415 career points with Detroit
  2. Igor Larionov – 392
  3. Dylan Larkin – 385
  4. Johan Franzén – 370
  5. Marcel Dionne – 366
  6. Shawn Burr – 362

CAPTAIN CLUTCH

  • Dylan Larkin tallied his 157th career NHL goal on Dec. 10 at Dallas. He is currently one goal away from tying Kris Draper for 22nd place on the franchise’s all-time list (see list below):
  1. Mickey Redmond – 177 career goals with Detroit
  2. Red Kelly – 162
  3. Kris Draper – 158
  4. Dylan Larkin – 157
  5. Ray Sheppard – 152
  6. Bruce MacGregor – 151
  • Larkin recorded his 228th career NHL assist on Dec. 3 vs. Vegas, passing Marcel Dionne for sole possession of 22nd place on the franchise’s all-time list (see list below):
  1. Syd Howe – 248 career assists with Detroit
  2. Gary Bergman – 243
  3. Dylan Larkin – 228
  4. Marcel Dionne – 227
  5. Marcel Pronovost – 217
  6. Shawn Burr – 214
  • Larkin scored his fourth career shootout-deciding goal on Nov. 25 vs. Arizona, passing Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar for the sixth-most in franchise history. He trails only Pavel Datsyuk (11), Todd Bertuzzi (7), Henrik Zetterberg (7), Frans Nielsen (6) and Jiri Hudler (5).
  • Also has seven career overtime goals, which is tied with Herbie Lewis and Henrik Zetterberg for the fifth-most in franchise history. He trails only Sergei Fedorov (12), Brendan Shanahan (9), Steve Yzerman (9) and Pavel Datsyuk (8).

WASHINGTON CAPITALS NOTES:

LAST GAME
Washington 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2
December 17, 2022 * Capital One Arena * Washington, D.C.
Shots: WSH: 28; TOR: 36
Power Plays: WSH: 0/2; TOR: 0/2
Three Stars: 1. Gustafsson (WSH), 2. Milano (WSH), 3. Lindgren (WSH)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Recalled goaltender Zach Fucale from AHL Hershey, 12/17
Loaned defenseman Dylan McIlrath to AHL Hershey, 12/11
Recalled defensemen Lucas Johansen and Dylan McIlrath from AHL Hershey, 12/11

INJURIES/ILLNESSES
Nicklas Backstrom: 10/12-12/17 (33 games)
Carl Hagelin: 10/12-12/17 (33 games)
Tom Wilson: 10/12-12/17 (33 games)
Connor Brown: 10/20/22-12/17/22 (29 games)
Beck Malenstyn: 11/3/22-12/17/22 (22 games)
Martin Fehervary: 12/5/22-12/17/22 (7 games)
Darcy Kuemper: 12/5/22-12/17/22 (7 games)
Alex Alexeyev: 12/11/22-12/17/22 (4 games)
Nic Dowd: 12/17/22 (1 game)
Hunter Shepard: 12/17/22 (1 game)
Sonny Milano: 12/15/22 (1 game)
Dmitry Orlov: 11/7/22-12/9/22 (16 games)
T.J. Oshie: 10/31/22-11/19/22 (11 games)
John Carlson: 10/31/22-11/9/22 (6 games)
Erik Gustafsson: 12/11/22 (1 game)
Lars Eller: 12/13/22 (1 game)
Man Games Lost: 206

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Dec. 22, 7 p.m. ET at Ottawa (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
Dec. 23, 7 p.m. ET vs. Winnipeg (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
Dec. 27, 7 p.m. ET at New York Rangers (NBCSW+, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
Dec. 29, 7 p.m. ET vs. Ottawa (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)
Dec. 31, 4 p.m. ET vs. Montreal (NBCSW, 106.7 The Fan/Caps Radio 24/7)

TONIGHT’S GAME
The Capitals host the Detroit Red Wings on Monday at Capital One Arena for the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Capitals have earned points in fifteen of their last 16 games versus Detroit (12-1-3), dating back to Nov. 18, 2015. Alex Ovechkin (3g, 1a) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (2g, 2a) led the Capitals with four points each against Detroit last season. Ovechkin’s 23 goals in 31 career games versus the Red Wings rank first among active players.

HOME vs. DETROIT RED WINGS
Record Goals For Goals Against Streak
31-22-5-2 220 182 1 DET win (10/27/21)

CAPITALS vs. RED WINGS ALL-TIME (CAREER TOTALS)
Games Goals Assists Points
Oshie (39) Ovechkin (23) Backstrom (20) Ovechkin (36)
Ovechkin (31) Oshie (10) Carlson/Kuznetsov (14) Backstrom (24)
Johansson/Eller (27) Strome/Kuznetsov (5) Ovechkin (13) Oshie (21)

The Great 800

  • Alex Ovechkin scored his 18th, 19th and 20th goals of the season on Dec. 13 at Chicago to become the third player in NHL history to reach the 800-goal mark, joining Hall of Famers Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894).
  • Ovechkin, 37, reached the 800-goal mark in his 1,305th career game, the second-fewest games required to reach the milestone in NHL history (Gretzky: 1,116 GP). Howe scored his 800th career goal in his 1,748th career game at the age of 51.
  • Ovechkin went from 700 to 800 goals in 162 games, the fewest games required to make that leap for any member of the 800-goal club (Gretzky: 231 GP; Howe: 256 GP). It is tied for the third-fewest games Ovechkin has required to go from one 100-goal milestone to another in his career (100 to 200 goals: 130 GP; 600 to 700 goals: 155 GP; 300 to 400 goals: 162 GP).
  • Ovechkin’s 100 goals in 162 games since scoring his 700th career goal on Feb. 22, 2020, equates to a 0.62 goals-per-game average, slightly higher than his overall career average (0.61 G/GP). Gretzky’s goals-per-game rate from goal 700 to 800 was 0.44, while Howe’s was 0.39.
  • Ovechkin is now two goals shy of passing Howe (801) for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
  • Ovechkin has averaged 0.61 goals-per-game during his 18-year career, the seventh-highest rate in NHL history among players with at least 200 goals. Howe averaged 0.45 goals-per-game during his career, while Gretzky averaged 0.60.
  • Since turning 35-years-old on Sept. 17, 2020, Ovechkin has maintained his career goals per game average, scoring 94 goals in 155 games played (0.61 G/GP). That marks the highest rate among players following their 35th birthday in NHL history.
  • Ovechkin scored his 787th career goal on Nov. 5 versus Arizona, passing Howe (786) for the most goals with one franchise in NHL history and scored his 122nd career game-winning goal on Oct. 24 at New Jersey to pass Howe for the second-most game-winning goals.
  • Ovechkin, who has scored 20 goals in 33 games this season, recorded his 29th career hat trick against Chicago to reach the 800-goal mark, passing Marcel Dionne and Bobby Hull (28) for the sixth most hat tricks in NHL history.
  • Ovechkin has reached the 20-goal mark in each of his 18 NHL seasons and his 18 20-goal seasons are the sixth-most in NHL history. Ovechkin is on pace to score 49 goals this season. Should Ovechkin reach the 50-goal mark, it would mark his 10th career 50-goal season, passing Gretzky and Mike Bossy (9) for the most in NHL history. In addition, Ovechkin would pass Gretzky (12) for the most 40-goal seasons in NHL history and tie Mike Gartner (17) for the most 30-goal seasons in NHL history.
    Additional information from NHL Stats: “The Road to 800” / #NHLStats Pack

Hats Off To Gus

  • Erik Gustafsson recorded his first career hat trick on Saturday vs. Toronto. Gustafsson entered the game goalless this season.
  • Gustafsson became the third defenseman in franchise history to score a hat trick, joining Kevin Hatcher (Jan. 13, 1993) and Sergei Gonchar (Jan. 4, 2000).
  • It marked the 147th regular season hat trick in franchise history and the second hat trick by a Capitals player this week, following Alex Ovechkin’s three-goal performance on Tuesday at Chicago. It’s the 15th time in franchise history that the Capitals have recorded multiple hat tricks over a three-game span (per NHL Stats).
  • Gustafsson is one of two defensemen to record a hat trick this season (San Jose’s Erik Karlsson: Nov. 1 vs. Anaheim).

O From D

  • Trevor van Riemsdyk also scored for Washington on Saturday, his third goal in his last four games. In total the Capitals received four goals from defensemen against Toronto, marking the first time the Capitals had four or more goals scored by defensemen in a game since Jan. 20, 2019 at Chicago (John Carlson: 2g, Dmitry Orlov: 1g, Matt Niskanen: 1g, Brooks Orpik: 1g) (per NHL Stats).
  • Capitals defensemen have combined for 19 goals this season, which is the third-highest total in the NHL (New York Islanders: 23, Florida Panthers: 21).
  • Washington defensemen have also combined for 68 (19g, 49a) of the team’s 270 points (25.2%), which is the ninth-highest percentage in the NHL.

Turning a Corner

  • The Capitals have won six of their last seven games and have earned at least one point in 10 of their last 13 games (9-3-1), dating back to Nov. 23.
  • The Capitals have earned 19 points (.731 point percentage) since Nov. 23, tied for the second-most in the NHL during that stretch, through games played Dec. 17.
  • Since Nov. 23, the Capitals rank tied for second in the NHL in wins (9), fourth in goals against per game (2.23) and penalty kill percentage (84.9%), eighth in goals for per game (3.46) and 10th in power play percentage (27.8%).
  • The Capitals have allowed two or fewer goals in six of their last seven games, dating back to Dec. 5. The Capitals have allowed 1.86 goals against per game in that span.
  • The Capitals have outscored opponents 18-9 since Dec. 5.
  • With their win Saturday over Toronto, Washington improved to 9-5-1 at home.

Power Up

  • The Capitals have scored a power play goal in 10 of their last 13 games (10 goals on 36 opportunities = 27.8 percent). During that span, Washington’s 27.8 power play percentage ranks 10th in the NHL.
  • The Capitals went seven-straight games with a power play goal from Dec. 1 – December 13, which marked Washington’s longest stretch of consecutive games with at least one power play goal since the 2009-10 season (seven-straight games: March 6 – March 18, 2010).
  • Six different skaters have scored a power play goal since Nov. 23 (Alex Ovechkin: 2; Conor Sheary: 2; Marcus Johansson: 2; T.J. Oshie: 2; Evgeny Kuznetsov: 1; John Carlson: 1).
  • The Capitals have had 110 power play opportunities this season, which are the ninth most in the NHL.
  • Washington has drawn 137 penalties this season – the sixth most in the NHL – and their +22 net penalty differential ranks tied for first in the NHL.

Chuck Stops Here

  • Over his last seven starts, Charlie Lindgren is 6-1-0 with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.
  • Lindgren has started the Capitals’ last seven games. It marks the second-most games Lindgren has started consecutively in his career (eight-straight starts from Nov. 5 – Nov. 21, 2017, with Montreal).
  • Lindgren won five-straight games from Dec. 5 – Dec. 13, which tied for the longest win streak of his NHL career. Last season with the St. Louis Blues, Lindgren won five-straight games from Dec. 5 – Dec. 17, 2021, going 5-0-0 with a 1.22 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage.
  • Lindgren was named the NHL’s First Star for the week ending Dec. 11. Lindgren posted a record of 4-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage in four starts that week. In addition, Lindgren recorded a 1.26 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage at five-on-five (per Natural Stat Trick).
  • During the four-game stretch, which began on Dec. 5 at Edmonton, Lindgren stopped a combined 50 of 52 shots (.962 save percentage) faced in the third period and 49 of 51 shots (.961 save percentage) faced when the Capitals led (per Natural Stat Trick). Lindgren allowed two or fewer goals in each of his four starts, including consecutive starts where he allowed just one goal (Dec. 7 at Philadelphia and Dec. 9 vs. Seattle).
  • Lindgren is the 10th different Capitals goaltender to earn First Star/Player of the Week honors and the first since Braden Holtby in 2011 (for the week ending March 14).
  • This season, Lindgren has a record of 8-4-2 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. The Capitals have earned at least one point in 10 of the 13 games Lindgren has started (8-3-2). Among goaltenders with 12 or fewer starts this season, Lindgren ranks tied for third in the NHL in wins.

Bright and Sonny

  • Sonny Milano recorded three assists on Saturday vs. Toronto, marking his second career three-assist game (also Dec. 1, 2021 vs. Vegas as a member of the Anaheim Ducks).
  • Since making his Capitals debut on Nov. 5 vs. Arizona, Milano has recorded 14 points (3g, 11a) in 20 games played.
  • Milano’s 11 assists rank tied for second on the Capitals during that span (Evgeny Kuznetsov: 14; Dylan Strome: 11; Alex Ovechkin: 11), while his 14 points rank tied for fifth.
  • Milano has recorded 2.52 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five this season, which leads the Capitals.
  • Milano is five points shy of 100 career points (39g, 56a).

Penalty Skill

  • The Capitals have killed off 66 of 79 power plays (83.5 percent) over their last 28 games, dating back to Oct. 22. During that span, Washington’s 83.5 penalty kill percentage ranks second in the NHL.
  • Through games played Dec. 17, the Capitals’ 80.7 penalty kill percentage ranks ninth in the NHL.
  • Washington is averaging 4:49 of shorthanded time on ice per game, which is the sixth-lowest rate in the NHL.

Oh Yeah, Orly

  • Dmitry Orlov has recorded three points (1g, 2a) since returning to the Capitals’ lineup on Dec. 11 at Winnipeg.
  • Orlov, who missed 16 consecutive games due to injury prior to his return, has averaged 22:17 of ice time in Washington’s last four games, the second-highest average on the team (John Carlson: 22:57). In addition, Orlov leads the Capitals in ice time at five-on-five (79:31) since his return.
  • During that same span, Orlov has posted a +3 plus/minus rating and a 62.5 goals for percentage at five-on-five (five goals for, three against) (per Natural Stat Trick).
  • With his goal Dec. 13 at Chicago, Orlov tied Al Iafrate (58) for the ninth-most goals by a defenseman in franchise history.

Kuz Control

  • Evgeny Kuznetsov recorded two assists on Saturday vs. Toronto, marking his fourth multi-assist game of the season.
  • Kuznetsov has recorded nine points (1g, 8a) in his last eight games.
  • With an assist on Dec. 13 at Chicago, Kuznetsov passed Calle Johansson (361) for the seventh-most assists in franchise history. Kuznetsov passed Bengt Gustafsson (359) for the eighth-most assists in franchise history on Dec. 7 at Philadelphia.
  • Kuznetsov leads the Capitals with 21 assists in 32 games this season.
  • Kuznetsov is on pace for 53 assists this season. Should he maintain his scoring pace, it would mark Kuznetsov’s fifth career 50-assist
    season.
  • Among Washington’s top-10 assists leaders all-time, Kuznetsov’s 0.58 assists per game rate ranks second, trailing only Nicklas Backstrom (0.71 A/GP).
  • Since entering the NHL during the 2013-14 season, Kuznetsov has recorded 1.53 assists per 60 minutes at five-on-five. That’s tied for the fourth-highest rate in the NHL among players with at least 200 five-on-five assists during that span (Connor McDavid: 1.78; Artemi Panarin: 1.68; Ryan Getzlaf: 1.54; Nikita Kucherov: 1.53).

Clutch Carly

  • John Carlson recorded an assist on Saturday vs. Toronto, marking his sixth assist in his last six games.
  • Carlson’s 20 points (8g, 12a) in 27 games this season lead Capitals defensemen.
  • Carlson has recorded 11 (6g, 5a) of his 20 points in the third period of games.
  • Seven of Carlson’s eight goals have come when the Capitals have trailed, with two being game-tying goals in games the Capitals won (Oct. 17 vs. VAN; Oct. 22 vs. LAK).
  • Carlson’s eight goals this season rank tied for fourth among NHL defensemen.
  • Carlson has recorded 13 points (6g, 7a) in his last 16 games.

Give Me Mo

  • Anthony Mantha recorded an assist on Saturday vs. Toronto.
  • Mantha has recorded seven points in his last six games (2g, 5a).
  • Mantha, who recorded the primary assist on Alex Ovechkin’s 800th career goal, has assisted on six of Ovechkin’s goals since joining the Capitals during the 2020-21 season.
  • Mantha has recorded 19 points (8g, 11a) in 33 games this season. His eight goals rank tied for third on Washington while his 18 points rank tied for fifth.

Did You Know?

  • The Capitals are 16-1-1 when scoring three or more goals this season.
  • Washington’s 844 hits this season are the seventh most in the NHL, through games played Dec. 17.
  • The Capitals rank seventh in the NHL in blocked shots (506), through games played Dec. 17.
  • Since Nov. 1, the Capitals have won 51.7 percent of their faceoffs, which is the 10th-highest win percentage in the NHL during that span.